US4894884A - Over-center self-closing hinge for cabinet doors - Google Patents

Over-center self-closing hinge for cabinet doors Download PDF

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Publication number
US4894884A
US4894884A US07/324,204 US32420489A US4894884A US 4894884 A US4894884 A US 4894884A US 32420489 A US32420489 A US 32420489A US 4894884 A US4894884 A US 4894884A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
hinge
cam
spring
link
section
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US07/324,204
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English (en)
Inventor
Karl Lautenschlager, Jr.
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Karl Lautenschlaeger GmbH and Co KG Moebelbeschlafabrik
Original Assignee
Karl Lautenschlaeger GmbH and Co KG Moebelbeschlafabrik
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Karl Lautenschlaeger GmbH and Co KG Moebelbeschlafabrik filed Critical Karl Lautenschlaeger GmbH and Co KG Moebelbeschlafabrik
Assigned to KARL LAUTENSCHLAGER GMBH & CO. KG, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY reassignment KARL LAUTENSCHLAGER GMBH & CO. KG, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: LAUTENSCHLAGER, KARL JR.
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Publication of US4894884A publication Critical patent/US4894884A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05D—HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
    • E05D11/00—Additional features or accessories of hinges
    • E05D11/10—Devices for preventing movement between relatively-movable hinge parts
    • E05D11/1014—Devices for preventing movement between relatively-movable hinge parts for maintaining the hinge in only one position, e.g. closed
    • E05D11/1021—Devices for preventing movement between relatively-movable hinge parts for maintaining the hinge in only one position, e.g. closed the hinge having two or more pins and being specially adapted for cabinets or furniture
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF
    • E05Y2900/00—Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
    • E05Y2900/20—Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof for furniture, e.g. cabinets

Definitions

  • the invention relates to an over-center self-closing hinge for cabinet doors, having a quadrilateral linkage, a single-arm lever which is mounted at its one end in the cabinet-wall-related part of the hinge and is constituted by a leaf spring which can flex in a plane at right angles to the hinge axis and thrusts against a cam which is disposed on the inner link (the one closer to the wall) and extends as far as the pivot eye on the link's end nearer the wall, the cam being rotatable on a pivot such that in the end positions of the hinge it comes to rest in two different positions on the inner hinge link.
  • the cam which, in an improvement on an older form (DE-OS 24 08 057), can rotate relative to the inner hinge link, is mounted on a pivot held in the sides of the wall-related hinge part which is an elongated supporting arm of inverted U-shaped cross section Since the cam on the other hand is carried displaceably on the inner hinge link, during the opening or closing movement of the hinge it performs a positively controlled rotatory movement, i e , with each position of the hinge there is positively associated a certain position of the cam body.
  • the swinging movement of the inner hinge link is in this case transmitted to the cam body such that it performs a definitely greater movement relative to the end of the spring biased against it than the cam of the above-mentioned older hinge in which the cam is fixedly joined to the inner hinge link.
  • the positive control of the rotation of the cam makes it possible to increase the effective length of the cam cooperating with the end of the spring, and accordingly also to achieve a relatively greater spring stroke, so that, in comparison to the above-mentioned older hinges, higher end-position retaining forces can be achieved without stronger springs, or equal end-position retaining forces can be achieved with weaker springs.
  • the start of the over-center action i.e., of the closing torque
  • a door mounted on a cabinet carcase with the known hinges approaches the closed position does not take place abruptly, but gradually, because an abrupt production of the closing torque would require too great a change in the curvature of the cam in the dead-center range, i.e., a portion of the edge of the cam would, in the course of time, be subject to more wear than the other portions.
  • the closing characteristic of the known hinge would therefore also change in the course of time.
  • this purpose is accomplished in accordance with the invention in that the cam is journaled in a pair of ears bent up from the opposite longitudinal margins of the inner hinge link and reaching into the area between the two hinge links such that the cam becomes a rocking lever on which the end which is engaged by the spring on the side opposite the hinge link is rocked against the inner hinge link; in that the pivot of the cam is so disposed in relation to the pivot axis at the supporting-arm end of the inner hinge link, that, when the hinge moves from the open to the closed position and nears the closed position, a plane passing through the two pivot axes intersects the cam in the area of contact with the spring, and the direction of the action of the spring force exerted by the spring on the cam edge is applied approximately in this plane; in that, in the hinge movement from the open position to the closed position, up to the line of intersection with the plane passing through the pivot axes, the section of the cam upon on which the spring acts has a lateral profile of a substantially arcuate
  • the cam is not positively and continuously rotated in accordance with the position of the hinge, but cooperates with the corresponding spring either in the one or in the other hinge end position.
  • the rotation of the cam from the one to the other end position takes place abruptly, as soon as the free end of the spring passes over from the section of the cam that is arcuate in lateral profile and concentric with the pivot axis of the inner hinge link, to the second section of the cam, i.e., the cam rocks abruptly from the one to the other position with no great relative movement the engaging end of the spring on the cam.
  • the shape of the cam and accordingly also the direction of action of the spring force abruptly changes, so that the closing torque begins spontaneously and energetically in the desired manner.
  • the cam has preferably a width corresponding approximately to the free distance between the bent ears.
  • the free end of the leaf spring can thus be made of a corresponding width, so that the stresses acting between the cam and the free end of the spring can be kept relatively low and premature wear-out of the cam is prevented.
  • the spring is preferably a leaf spring whose one end is fastened in the supporting arm and whose other, free end lies upon the cam, the free end of this leaf spring -- again to reduce wear -- terminates in a rounded end.
  • the portion of the leaf spring lying between the rounded end and the section fastened in the supporting arm can best have a curvature in the same direction as that of the cam edge, so that, when the hinge is rotated from the closed to the open position, the cam can enter into the concave portion of the leaf spring.
  • the ears holding the pivot of the cam are made integral with the margins of the inner hinge link, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, i.e., the inner hinge link is stamped in one piece from an originally flat piece of metal and then finished by bending the ears cut on the sides upward at right angles to the margins.
  • the cam in turn is best made of plastic, using a plastic which has, on the one hand, sufficient resistance to wear, and on the other hand has good sliding properties in conjunction with the free end of the spring.
  • FIG. 1 is a longitudinal central section through an over-center self-closing hinge constructed in the manner of the invention, in the closed state, and
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1, of the hinge in the open state.
  • the over-center self-closing hinge shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and identified as a whole by the numeral 10 serves for hanging a door 12 on the wall 14 of a cabinet carcase.
  • the door and the wall are represented in dash-dotted lines in the figures, since they have nothing to do with the configuration of the over-center hinge in accordance with the invention.
  • the hinge 10 consists in a known manner of a door-related part in the form of a cup 16 which can be set in a mortise in the back of the door 12.
  • the cup is coupled, by two links 22, 24, to an elongated, channel-shaped piece attached displaceably to a mounting plate 18 likewise indicated in dashdotted lines, which in turn is affixed to the wall 14.
  • the overcenter mechanism has a cam 30 disposed adjacent the wall end of the inner link 22, i.e., the link that is closer to the cabinet interior when the door is closed.
  • the edge 32 of the cam confronts the outer link 24 and faces the web of the channel-shaped supporting arm 20.
  • the free end of a single-arm lever rotating at right angles to the hinge pivot axis engages, under bias, the cam edge or track 32.
  • this one-armed lever is constituted by a portion 34a of a leaf spring 34 bent to an approximate U shape, whose other end 34b thrusts against the bottom of the web of the supporting arm 20.
  • the leaf spring 34 is held in the represented position with its free ends pointing away from the carcase interior by a pin 38 held in the sides of the supporting arm 20 and provided with a roller-like bearing 36 to adapt it to the arcuate transition between the spring legs 34a, 34b.
  • the assembly of the leaf spring 34 is performed simply by placing it onto the pin 38 and its bearing 36; the arcuate transition between the legs 34a, 34b, of the leaf spring 34 grips the bearing 36 on an angle of more than 180°, preventing any unintentional release of the leaf spring.
  • the cam 30 itself is pivotally mounted on a pin 40 whose ends are held in ears 42 cut on the lateral margins of the inner hinge link 22 and bent at right angles toward the outer hinge link 24 and the web of the supporting arm 20.
  • the cam can therefore, like a rocking lever, be rocked from one to the other end position, the bottom of one end of this rocking lever being then supported on the inner hinge link, whenever the free end of the limb 34b of leaf spring 34 thrusts under bias against the top edge of the same end.
  • the cam edge 32 itself is divided into two sections 32a and 32b, of which the longer section 32a pointing away from the carcase interior is arcuately curved in lateral profile, such that the arc is concentric with the pivot axis on the supporting arm end of the inner link 22 when the free end of spring limb 34a rests on it, i.e., the bottom of the cam lever 30 pointing away from the carcase interior is supported on the hinge link 22.
  • the arcuate section 32a of the cam track 32 runs in the direction of the interior of the carcase, at least up to an imaginary plane running through the central axes of the pivot pins 26 and 40, and the length of the spring limb 34a, which is bent at the free end at 34c to a curvature which is the opposite of that of the cam surface 32 is at the same time selected so that it will rest on the line where the said imaginary plane intersects with the cam edge 32 precisely when the hinge, in the closing movement, comes close to the closed position -- for example to a remanent angle of about 10° to 20°.
  • cam edge section 32b changes position such that the line of action of the spring force exerted by the end section 34c of the leaf spring limb 34a passes between the central axes of the pivot pins 40 of cam 30 and of pivot pin 26 of the inner hinge link 22.
  • the spring force therefore acts on the inner hinge link with leverage with respect to the central axis of the pivot pin 26 and thus produces a thrust on the inner hinge link in the closing direction of the hinge. Since the rocking of the cam 30 from the one end position to the other takes place very rapidly as soon as the dead center position is passed, the closing thrust is produced very spontaneously in the desired manner, so that a door 12 hung with hinges 10 on a cabinet carcase is forced rapidly and emphatically into the fully closed position.
  • the cam 30 is best made of a plastic that is resistant to wear and has good sliding qualities, its width being such as to correspond substantially to the width of the inner hinge link 22.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Hinges (AREA)
  • Closing And Opening Devices For Wings, And Checks For Wings (AREA)
  • Pivots And Pivotal Connections (AREA)
US07/324,204 1988-03-15 1989-03-15 Over-center self-closing hinge for cabinet doors Expired - Fee Related US4894884A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE3808585A DE3808585A1 (de) 1988-03-15 1988-03-15 Schnaepperscharnier fuer moebeltueren
DE3808585 1988-03-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US4894884A true US4894884A (en) 1990-01-23

Family

ID=6349756

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US07/324,204 Expired - Fee Related US4894884A (en) 1988-03-15 1989-03-15 Over-center self-closing hinge for cabinet doors

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4894884A (de)
AT (1) AT398602B (de)
DE (1) DE3808585A1 (de)
ES (1) ES2012962A6 (de)
IT (1) IT1232038B (de)

Cited By (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5008977A (en) * 1989-04-18 1991-04-23 Karl Lautenschlager Gmbh & Co. Kg Cabinet hinge with closing mechanism
US5339494A (en) * 1992-02-11 1994-08-23 Deere & Company Vehicle hood with hinge
US5369841A (en) * 1992-05-28 1994-12-06 Bembnowski; Jorge Hinge, particulary for furniture doors
US5468061A (en) * 1991-10-23 1995-11-21 A/S Grorud Jernvarefabrik Cabinet body structure and articulated joint means for use with the structure
US5491875A (en) * 1994-07-22 1996-02-20 General Motors Corporation Extended cab pickup truck concealed cargo door hinge
US5546633A (en) * 1994-11-22 1996-08-20 Liu; Sunny Hinge
US5604956A (en) * 1995-08-11 1997-02-25 Grass Ag Single pivot hinge with self-closing mechanism
US5632065A (en) * 1994-07-22 1997-05-27 General Motors Corporation Extended cab pickup truck concealed cargo door hinge having a spring stop detent
US5634242A (en) * 1995-01-24 1997-06-03 Franco Ferrari Compact furniuture hinge
US5930883A (en) * 1997-07-31 1999-08-03 Kimball International, Inc. Cabinet system and method for manufacturing cabinets
US20040226139A1 (en) * 2003-05-14 2004-11-18 Luciano Salice Hinge with spring for furniture
US20050160871A1 (en) * 2004-01-28 2005-07-28 Douglas Dombrowski Two position spring biased lever system
US20110005035A1 (en) * 2008-03-19 2011-01-13 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Furniture hinge
US20120118842A1 (en) * 2009-10-13 2012-05-17 Auturo Salice S.P.A. Decelerated hinge structure for a furniture, with a foldable shelf
US20140230189A1 (en) * 2011-08-31 2014-08-21 Sugatsune Kogyo Co., Ltd. Hinge device
US9416575B2 (en) * 2014-05-21 2016-08-16 Grass America, Inc. Furniture hinge with plastic insert
US20220298839A1 (en) * 2019-06-26 2022-09-22 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Hinge for furniture

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4035199C2 (de) * 1990-11-06 2001-05-31 Lautenschlaeger Mepla Werke Eingelenk-Möbelscharnier
DE29604354U1 (de) * 1996-03-08 1996-06-05 Arturo Salice S.P.A., Novedrate, Como Haltebeschlag für eine um eine horizontale Schwenkachse an einer Deckwand eines Schranks angelenkte Klappe

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2408057A1 (de) * 1974-01-11 1975-08-28 Lautenschlaeger Kg Karl Schnaepperscharnier
US4226001A (en) * 1978-04-04 1980-10-07 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Pivotal joint with position-stabilizing spring
US4543686A (en) * 1982-07-16 1985-10-01 Julius Blum Gesellschaft M.B.H. Furniture hinge having a spring biased pivoting pressure member
US4654930A (en) * 1985-04-22 1987-04-07 Karl Lautenschlager Gmbh & Co. Kg Self-closing over-center hinge having a link guided in a spring biased cam

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2743997A1 (de) * 1977-09-30 1979-04-12 Hettich Hetal Werke Scharnier
DE3116681A1 (de) * 1981-04-28 1982-11-25 Karl Lautenschläger KG, Möbelbeschlagfabrik, 6107 Reinheim Schnaepperscharnier

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2408057A1 (de) * 1974-01-11 1975-08-28 Lautenschlaeger Kg Karl Schnaepperscharnier
US4226001A (en) * 1978-04-04 1980-10-07 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Pivotal joint with position-stabilizing spring
US4543686A (en) * 1982-07-16 1985-10-01 Julius Blum Gesellschaft M.B.H. Furniture hinge having a spring biased pivoting pressure member
US4654930A (en) * 1985-04-22 1987-04-07 Karl Lautenschlager Gmbh & Co. Kg Self-closing over-center hinge having a link guided in a spring biased cam

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5008977A (en) * 1989-04-18 1991-04-23 Karl Lautenschlager Gmbh & Co. Kg Cabinet hinge with closing mechanism
US5468061A (en) * 1991-10-23 1995-11-21 A/S Grorud Jernvarefabrik Cabinet body structure and articulated joint means for use with the structure
US5339494A (en) * 1992-02-11 1994-08-23 Deere & Company Vehicle hood with hinge
US5369841A (en) * 1992-05-28 1994-12-06 Bembnowski; Jorge Hinge, particulary for furniture doors
US5491875A (en) * 1994-07-22 1996-02-20 General Motors Corporation Extended cab pickup truck concealed cargo door hinge
US5632065A (en) * 1994-07-22 1997-05-27 General Motors Corporation Extended cab pickup truck concealed cargo door hinge having a spring stop detent
US5546633A (en) * 1994-11-22 1996-08-20 Liu; Sunny Hinge
US5634242A (en) * 1995-01-24 1997-06-03 Franco Ferrari Compact furniuture hinge
US5604956A (en) * 1995-08-11 1997-02-25 Grass Ag Single pivot hinge with self-closing mechanism
US5930883A (en) * 1997-07-31 1999-08-03 Kimball International, Inc. Cabinet system and method for manufacturing cabinets
US20040226139A1 (en) * 2003-05-14 2004-11-18 Luciano Salice Hinge with spring for furniture
US7533445B2 (en) * 2003-05-14 2009-05-19 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Hinge with spring for furniture
US20050160871A1 (en) * 2004-01-28 2005-07-28 Douglas Dombrowski Two position spring biased lever system
US20110005035A1 (en) * 2008-03-19 2011-01-13 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Furniture hinge
US8214973B2 (en) 2008-03-19 2012-07-10 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Furniture hinge
US20120118842A1 (en) * 2009-10-13 2012-05-17 Auturo Salice S.P.A. Decelerated hinge structure for a furniture, with a foldable shelf
US20140230189A1 (en) * 2011-08-31 2014-08-21 Sugatsune Kogyo Co., Ltd. Hinge device
US9127494B2 (en) * 2011-08-31 2015-09-08 Sugatsune Kogyo Co., Ltd. Hinge device
US9416575B2 (en) * 2014-05-21 2016-08-16 Grass America, Inc. Furniture hinge with plastic insert
US20220298839A1 (en) * 2019-06-26 2022-09-22 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Hinge for furniture
US11946304B2 (en) * 2019-06-26 2024-04-02 Arturo Salice S.P.A. Hinge for furniture

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT1232038B (it) 1992-01-23
ATA319988A (de) 1994-05-15
IT8967166A0 (it) 1989-03-10
DE3808585C2 (de) 1993-06-17
AT398602B (de) 1995-01-25
DE3808585A1 (de) 1989-09-28
ES2012962A6 (es) 1990-04-16

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Owner name: KARL LAUTENSCHLAGER GMBH & CO. KG, FEDERAL REPUBL

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